US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO1610

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001610 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SA/INS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/26/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, PGOV, MV, Maldives 
SUBJECT: MALDIVES:  AMBASSADOR WILL STRESS NEED FOR REFORM 
IN UPCOMING VISIT 
 
REF: A. COLOMBO 1549 
     B. COLOMBO 1568 
     C. COLOMBO 1582 
 
Classified By: AMB. JEFFREY J. LUNSTEAD.  REASON:  1.5 (B,D). 
 
1.  (SBU)  The Ambassador plans to travel to Maldives October 
6-7.  He has requested appointments with President Gayoom, 
Foreign Minister Jameel, Defense Minister Shafeeu, Home 
Affairs Minister Zahir, Foreign Secretary Zakariyya, and 
Attorrney General Saeed.  In addition, the Ambassador plans 
to meet with the head of the Human Rights Commission and some 
of the Members of the Special Majlis who remain detained 
under the State of Emergency. 
 
2.  (C)  In his conversations with Government of the Republic 
of Maldives (GORM) officials, particularly President Gayoom, 
the Ambassador proposes to make the following points: 
 
--U.S. values its friendship with Maldives and supports 
genuine efforts toward political reform. 
 
--The desire for reform among Maldivians is genuine and 
broad-based.  Attempting to stifle this desire will push the 
demand for change in a negative direction, strengthening the 
appeal of fundamentalists who will be viewed as the only 
option, particularly among disaffected youth. 
 
--Ordinary Maldivians, as well as the international 
community, expect the President to substantiate the 
commitment to reform he announced last June.  The USG hopes 
to help the GORM meet those commitments. 
 
--The U.S. remains concerned at the prolonged State of 
Emergency and the potential damage that continued suspension 
of citizens' fundamental rights can cause to GORM credibility. 
 
--In particular, we are concerned for the detainees' welfare 
and right to due process under the law. 
 
3.  (C)  Comment:  This visit follows closely upon the DCM's 
September 19-20 visit (Ref C) and, perhaps, a proposed 
meeting on October 1 between the Maldivian Foreign Minister 
Jameel and Assistant Secretary for South Asian Affairs Rocca 
in Washington (Ref B).  These successive high-level meetings 
should make plain to the GORM that our initial concern at the 
situation in Maldives, conveyed in the Deputy Secretary's 
September 1 meeting with the Maldivian PermRep, has not 
flagged.  According to GORM officials, President Gayoom 
considers the U.S. a friendly country--friendlier than the EU 
(Ref A)--and thus seems to believe we will accept 
uncritically his government's allegations of anti-American 
fundamentalism within the pro-reform camp.  As a friendly 
country, we need to make sure that the GORM does not 
mistakenly believe that simply raising unsubstantiated 
allegations of "fundamentalism" against reformers will be 
sufficient to dispel valid concerns about the detainees' 
welfare, right to due process, and what their indefinite 
detention without charge means for the prospect of real 
reform in Maldives. 
LUNSTEAD